Jinma 284

[meporsche]

First post but have read off and on for last year. Am about to pull the trigger on a 284 w/ loader, assembled and delivered for $10K. I am replacing my old massey that broke an axle this week. Any comments positive or negative?

I am aware of most of the cautionary tales regarding these units. I will be using it for general farm work, moving round bales and plenty of snow removal.

Comments on whether to load the rears? at 2 tons I'm thinking it isn't necessary........

Last, anyone have any comments or experience with Josef Tractor in Dallas TX?

Thanks to any and all who post,

Darwin

 

[20 20]

Own the 254, can't complain, been a great little tractor. When{if} I buy again I will stick with Jinma just probably go to a 40hp. I also own the nortrac dozer same thing can't complain, both great machines.

I've used mine for everything from logging, to digging dirt, snow removal etc... I have close to 600 hrs now and they've been tough hrs. If you keep up with maintanence and take care of it you'll be fine. Change your fluids at 10hrs then 50 after that every 100 is fine. Also check all the nuts bolts hoses etc...

 

[Diamondpilot]

What brand loader are they putting on it? Also has the tractor had all the fluids changed out? If not do it asap. The price seems good. I paid $9500 back in 2003 for my tractor, FEL, and a American Made 5' King Kutter Finish Mower which ended up being the piece of junk, not the Chinese Tractor.

As for Round bales I would for sure load the rear tires. Most of us do it ourselves and if you are in a non freezing area you can just use water. I used Windshield Washer Fluid good down to -20. Still not sure if you will be able to handle round bales like we commonly have around here, I think they weigh 1,000#. Maybe off the 3 point?

Chris

 

[bjr]

Okay, you've broken an axle on the Massey and it's getting replaced. And you've read the previous post below about drive shaft repairing. I own and like my JM-354 Jinma, but, I would never put a FEL on it. You're money. As long as you can do repairs yourself. I Do truly wish you luck. I'm NOT bad mouthing the tractor and you've done your home work as to what can happen. bjr

 

[meporsche]

Thanks for the tips. The fluids are being replaced when the tractor is assembled.

2020, did you do your log skidding with your tractor? I am thinking of doing some light logging for firewood now that I will have the 4WD.

The loader is a custom built by the dealer, 1200-1400# lift capacity. I will probably only use the 3 pt spike for bales. Although I think the tractor (at 2 tons) could handle a bale on the bucket as long as I have one on the 3 pt as well. I do 4X5 bales. Comments?

 

[20 20]

I own and like my JM-354 Jinma, but, I would never put a FEL on it.

Why wouldn't you put a FEL on a 354? My little 254 handles a FEL with no problem even lifting logs{still no weight in rear tires}. Not sure why you wouldn't want a FEL on a 354 you have me very

 

[meporsche]

Curious as to why you would not put a FEL on? Do you think it over-taxes the tractor? I absolutely have to have a bucket for snow removal. We get so much snow a blade or plow doesn't work as there isn't anywhere to push it sometimes. And I also need it to clean pens and move manure, spread dirt, mulch, etc.

 

[greg_g]

The school of hard knocks has taught many members that they should have avoided the Chinese loaders (and backhoes). Some dealers won't even stock them anymore. The American-made Koykers, Spirits, and the like are a good investment though.

But you might want to reconsider moving conventional round bales with a JM284. Last I looked, the hydraulics were only rated to about 875 pounds. That much or less in a front bucket shouldn't require ballasting the rears anyway. And lifting with the rear hitch would make rear ballast totally unnecessary. That said, I've carried some rear loads that have occasionally tempted me to ballast the fronts, but I never actually got frustrated enough to actually do it.

Oh, and I'm not sure where you got "2 tons". The JM284 working weight - no loader, no backhoe - just the tractor itself, is well under 2700 pounds.

//greg//

 

[Affordable]

I don't think the loader they use will pick up round bales, it's a V3 loader,I have heard of problems with those loaders but I have not seen them myself just what I heard.

Tommy
Affordable Tractor Sales
" Your Jinma Parts Superstore"
Home of compact Jinma, Foton, and Koyker Tractors and Parts, Wood Chippers, Backhoes - Affordable Tractor Sales Company

 

[meporsche]

Oh, and I'm not sure where you got "2 tons".



Tractordata.com shows a weight of 3003# and the loader is 900+#

The info I have is a 975# lift cap. for the 3 point.

 

[studor]

I have a 2006 284 that replaced/added to a Massey 135. It has a Spirit loader so I cannot comment on the Chinese ones but overall I have been pleased with the package to the point that I no longer keep the Massey at my place
I have wheel weights on the back and am currently looking at adding some more weight but it is not essential. I push a six foot snow blower with it and have had no problems doing so. Shuttle shift would be a nice addition as would be a second hydraulic pump for full remote capability. Given that you appear to be looking in Texas, I might be tempted to shop around a little more before buying, Read this forum -- lots of info on loaders, dealers etc. -JMHO

 

[bjr]

You haven't read about the busted front hubs and spindles and in some case front housings and stripped front drive gears? Various manufactures not just the chinese tractors have busted transmission and flywheel housings and most claimed they were operating carefully. Some were moving snow and some were dirt moving. bjr

 

[biggerten]

I'd go with a domestic loader. My Chinese loader's been OK, but I upgraded the valve body to a Brand unit (adds float and regen, as well as better operation).

Moving snow with the FEL isn't the most practical - it comes in handy sometimes (pushing back a snowbank that has gotten too large, for example), but I mostly use a rear blade. I have a 3pt snowblower, as well, but if there isn't too much snow the blade is easiest and quickest, angling the blade and going along at a good clip 'wings' the snow out of the way.

 

[greg_g]

Tractordata.com shows a weight of 3003# and the loader is 900+#
The info I have is a 975# lift cap. for the 3 point.

Pretty sure TractorData got it wrong. I'm guessing they cite shipping weight (they arrive in steel "crates"). You're pretty much lookin' at a 2700 pound tractor. But I may be using old data on the lift capacity, those little Jinmas had a wimpy lift capacity from the git-go. After all, they started life as 18hp tractors. So 975 pounds suggests they finally went to a stronger pump, but it still won't handle the 1200-1500 pound bales we move around here. And those aren't even the big ones. Neither one of my tractors can handle big 6' round bales or 8' square bales. They both can weigh in at up to a ton each.

//greg//

 

[Diamondpilot]

Okay, you've broken an axle on the Massey and it's getting replaced. And you've read the previous post below about drive shaft repairing. I own and like my JM-354 Jinma, but, I would never put a FEL on it. You're money. As long as you can do repairs yourself. I Do truly wish you luck. I'm NOT bad mouthing the tractor and you've done your home work as to what can happen. bjr

You are in the minority by far. I would guess 80% have loaders. Mine has 600 hard hours putting in drives, skidding trees, pulling shrubs, tearing out concrete, and has not failed me yet.

I have a tractor with out a loader and its kind of like having legs but no feet. I use my loader tractor for 99% of the stuff I do.

Chris

 

[Diamondpilot]

Oh, and I'm not sure where you got "2 tons".



Tractordata.com shows a weight of 3003# and the loader is 900+#

The info I have is a 975# lift cap. for the 3 point.

Your numbers are right. My tractor was weighed with me on it and with loaded rears and a 5' Bush Hog it was 5,200#. So yes, 3,000 for the tractor plus loader, BH, ballast, and me put it at 5,200#.


Chris

 

[Steve C]

Your numbers are right. My tractor was weighed with me on it and with loaded rears and a 5' Bush Hog it was 5,200#. So yes, 3,000 for the tractor plus loader, BH, ballast, and me put it at 5,200#.


Chris

I think the 3 point lifts are conservitively rated on some of these chinese tractors. I have a farm pro 2425 (Jimna 254?). It will pick up 10-80 lb bags of cement loaded in the king cutter dirt scoop without hesitation. The 30" dirt scoop weighs 272 pounds, so my little tractor was happily lifting around 1072 pounds with its three point even though it is only rated for 875#.

It helps to have the 3 harbor freight 3/8" chains wrapped around the front weight bracket for a littl extra front end balast when transporting loads like this.

 

[bjr]

You guys with front end loaders and haven't yet busted anything I think is wonderful. I weighed the facts as I read about the number failures and reconized that finacially I wouldn't be able repair a castastrophic failure. I've worked construction for a number of years and the industrial loader backhoes I operated were in a different class as the farming tractor with aftermarket loaders attached. It simply was not chance I could take. I've found work arounds for any projects that may have been loader friendly. I've even rented a loader backhoe for a project that only a loader or a backhoe would do and it got returned unbroken. The front drive train and the whole front of the tractor gets heavily stressed with the FEL. Yes, I'm in the minority with not having to have a FEL, but it's just one of many things I'm in the minority on. 2020 asked and I replied. bjr

 

[Steve C]

You guys with front end loaders and haven't yet busted anything I think is wonderful. I weighed the facts as I read about the number failures and reconized that finacially I wouldn't be able repair a castastrophic failure. I've worked construction for a number of years and the industrial loader backhoes I operated were in a different class as the farming tractor with aftermarket loaders attached. It simply was not chance I could take. I've found work arounds for any projects that may have been loader friendly. I've even rented a loader backhoe for a project that only a loader or a backhoe would do and it got returned unbroken. The front drive train and the whole front of the tractor gets heavily stressed with the FEL. Yes, I'm in the minority with not having to have a FEL, but it's just one of many things I'm in the minority on. 2020 asked and I replied. bjr

bjr
You are absolutely correct Industrial loaders and backhoes are exactly that. They are built so the mechanical elements are stronger than the hydraulics to prevent failures. Our little tractors are toys by comparison and if the hydraulics are stronger than the supporting structure bad things can happen. When an after market component is added to a tractor we should use it with a little restraint. The guy who built the after market loader/ backhoe will build it strong enough so it won't break if he wants to keep selling them.

Unfortunately this moves the weak link to the tractor itself. Since the tractor/loader/backhoe are not an engineered system when they are supplied by aftermarket suppliers, it becomes the responsibility of the owners to make sure that they don't break something.

 

[20 20]

You haven't read about the busted front hubs and spindles and in some case front housings and stripped front drive gears? Various manufactures not just the chinese tractors have busted transmission and flywheel housings and most claimed they were operating carefully. Some were moving snow and some were dirt moving. bjr

Thank you for your answer. I have read about busted front ends etc, and in EVERY CASE it was operator error. Heck I've even pushed mine to the extreme, and if it broke I would not blame the FEL, I'd man up and place the blame where it belonged, operator stupidity. Tractor FEL's are a great piece of equpiment but they still have limitations. It is the operators responsiblity to understand the machine, not the other way around. I've been moving logs a LOT of snow dirt rocks etc. with my little 254 and have never had an issue. Like someone else pointed out, most folks with FEL's never have an issue. So you can't base a few bad issues{probably bad decisions} as a whole on FEL's.

side note; Comparing construction equipment to compact tractors is like comparing single wide trailers to castles, just doesn't work out.